Marilyn Campbell

Freelance Reporter

Recent Stories

How parents can ensure positive summer experiences for their children.

Though the official start of spring is still days away and the frigidity of winter is still recent on the minds of many, Janelle Wright, a Potomac, Md., mother of two, has already mapped out the summer for her children.

Renters want resort-like amenities and access to transportation.

After a long, hard day at work, Jordan Coleman comes home to a large apartment with modern amenities, including a 24-hour concierge, ample living space, a state–of-the-art fitness center and a pool. The apartment features high-end appliances and finishes as well as an open, flowing layout and large walk-in closets. Coleman – a lawyer and Capitol Hill staffer – shares the pricey rent with a friend. The complex is owned by Avalon, which has properties in Arlington, Fairfax, Herndon, Falls Church, Tysons Corner and Vienna, Virginia, as well as Bethesda, Maryland, and Washington.

Local family transforms their home with a red, black and white kitchen.

When a Springfield couple decided to remodel their 1960s home, they wanted to think outside the box, especially when it came to the kitchen. “Originally confined to a small kitchen ‘box,’ crunched in the back of their house, this couple wanted to expand and modernize their … house to a contemporary, European design,” said Stephanie Brick, associate architectural designer at Nicely Done Kitchens in Springfield.

County program offers insight into mental illness and teaches strategies for intervention.

Leslie Roberts recalls hearing a mother talk about getting her stepson admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
“Her stepson was angry and acting out,” said Roberts. “She didn’t understand what her stepson was doing.”

Local chefs and nutritionist share their favorite tips for cooking healthy comfort food.

Hearty comfort food doesn’t always get the respect nutritionists say it deserves. That’s because the image the often comes to mind is artery-clogging, fat-laden fare, but it doesn’t have to be that way. And let's face it, when temperatures barely crawl high enough to melt ice on the sidewalk, a dinner of arugula and pine nuts drizzled with olive oil falls flat.

Students master their own learning styles to overcome challenges.

The ANA Project offers college test preparation tools to students at all income levels.

Amir Mousavi of Arlington, owner of Langley Prep, a provider of private, in-home tutoring for standardized tests, says students with limited financial resources are often at a disadvantage when it comes to preparing for college admissions examinations such as the SAT and the ACT.